Union Decries Cuts To Custodial Services

With the spectre of the COVID - 19 pandemic the union representing custodial services workers at the Prairie South School Division (PSSD)) has decried a decision to cut custodial hours.

According to the Canadian Union Of Public Employees (CUPE) Prairie South intends to make custodual cuts affecting six Moose Jaw schools and two other school board facilities.

The planned cuts are to take effect at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year. It is expected by many students will be returning to class in some form or another in September however nothing official has been announced to confirm this as of yet.

“A pandemic is the wrong time to be cutting these services in our schools,” Jackie Christianson, chair of the CUPE Education Workers’ Steering Committee said in a statement. “Our collective experience is showing us how important sanitation and cleanliness is to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Prairie South is cutting corners on our schools hygiene which will leave students, staff and the community at risk.”

The total reduction equals 2.53 full time staff and is equivalent to 20.3 daily hours of custodial services.

Impacted schools includes: AE Peacock, Riverview, Central, Prince Arthur, Westmount, William Grayson, and the 9 th Avenue Board Office and Maintenance Building. These reductions will take effect August 15, 2020.

CUPE represents 350 support workers in Prairie South.